Belgian ex-king Albert II ordered to take DNA test to disprove love-child claims
- Albert II told to provide sample or risk being presumed father of 50-year-old artist
- A finding in favour of Delphine Boel would lead to the monarch’s estate being split equally between her and the three children king shares with wife
The private life of the Belgian monarchy has come under fresh scrutiny after King Albert II of Belgium, who abdicated in 2013, was ordered to submit to a DNA test to disprove claims that he conceived a love-child during an extramarital affair in the 1960s.
Albert, 84, must provide a saliva sample to the courts within three months or risk being presumed to be the father of the 50-year-old artist Delphine Boel, according to a ruling by the court of appeal in Brussels.
A finding in favour of Boel would lead to the monarch’s estate being split equally between her and the three children he shares with his Italian wife, Queen Paola. Lawyers for Boel said they welcomed the demand for a sample from the king.
“The wound that King Albert struck when he cast her out has not healed”, they said in a statement.
Alain Berenboom, a spokesman for the king, who was on the Belgian throne for 20 years, told local media his client was taking legal advice on next steps and any possible grounds of appeal. Albert has denied the paternity claim since it was first made public more than a decade ago.
It has been a difficult year for the Belgian royal family. In March, Prince Laurent, King Albert’s youngest son, claimed his human rights were being violated after the government decided to cut his annual grant.